School field trips: How will Portsmouth pay for them?

District scrambling to find solution to new rule forbidding schools from asking families to pay for school-related excursions

By Jim McGaw
Posted 5/23/19

PORTSMOUTH — When it comes to Portsmouth High School band trips to Disney World, eighth-graders’ excursions to Washington, D.C., or elementary school students’ visits to local …

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School field trips: How will Portsmouth pay for them?

District scrambling to find solution to new rule forbidding schools from asking families to pay for school-related excursions

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — When it comes to Portsmouth High School band trips to Disney World, eighth-graders’ excursions to Washington, D.C., or elementary school students’ visits to local apple orchards, the future is now unknown.

A recent opinion issued by the R.I. Department of Education regarding school field trip policies has created a ripple of angst and confusion throughout the local district.

Shortly before he left his job last month, R.I. Commissioner of Education Ken Wagner issued an opinion that confirmed a state law prohibiting public schools from asking students’ families for any funds for any purpose, including field trips.

“Everything has to be either paid for or fund-raised. We can no longer ask parents to pay for any field trips,” Mary Ann Carroll, the School Committee’s attorney, told the board at its May 14 meeting. “This is going to put a stop to many of the trips that go to Washington (D.C.) at the end of eighth grade, to band trips to chorus trips.”

A new commissioner, Angélica Infante-Green, has since been installed, but Ms. Carroll believes she will uphold the opinion and perhaps make it even “firmer.”

The opinion was issued after the East Greenwich School Committee, in September 2018, asked whether the district could continue its policy of asking families to pay for their students to take part in field trips

The ACLU of Rhode Island and Rhode Island Legal Services both applauded the commissioner’s interpretation. 

“No family of limited means should have to worry about whether they can afford to have their child bused to his public school or be able to participate in an important extracurricular activity,” the two groups stated in a joint news release, adding that it was critically important for public eduction to be truly free for “thousands of low-income students.”

Some school districts, such as Cranston and Chariho, have taken the extreme measure of canceling field trips altogether. That won’t happen in Portsmouth, assure local officials, but it could mean the loss of some trips and less money for others. 

“Field trips are required as part of the basic education plan, so this doesn’t mean they would be eliminated,” said School Committee Chairwoman Emily Copeland. “But it could mean they will be severely reduced and opportunities for kids could be curtailed.”

While the opinion was issued only last month, it didn’t exactly come out of the blue. “It’s something we’ve known has been lingering for quite a while,” Assistant Superintendent Thomas Kenworthy said shortly after the official word came down.

The former commissioner, Ms. Copeland said, accurately applied the law.

“The problem is the law,” she said. “If there’s a family that has hardship or need, the principals can know about it, and we have booster clubs or PTOs; nobody is going to be denied because of financial hardship. But on the other hand, there’s no way the district can say it will pay for the kids to go (on the field trip).”

The district will have to rework its field trip policy and have something in place by September, since it’s too late to get any state legislation passed to address the issue, Ms. Carroll said. 

“We’ve run out of time,” she said. While the opinion won’t prevent any field trips scheduled for the remaining school year, “looking at trips in September, we have to be very careful,” she added.

Uncertainty abounds

Around the district, teachers, administrators, PTO members and others are grappling with how to respond to the ruling.

Jenn Collins is a parent of a sixth-grader and president of the Portsmouth Middle School PTO, which raises money for enrichment programs and supplies not normally covered under the school budget.

“We’ve realigned our budgets for the upcoming year, to put more money in the field trip budget,” she said. “Unfortunately, the School Committee has already put out their budget, so that’s kind of a done deal.”

That will mean fewer PTO-raised dollars going into the classroom for things such as 3-D printers, chair buddies, supplemental books and more, she said.

“I feel like we’re robbing Peter to pay Paul,” Ms. Collins said.

Whether the PTO and other groups can raise enough money to save the bigger field trips, however, remains to be seen. She herself forked over $200 this year for a sixth-grade trip to New York.

“The school won’t be able to ask parents to contribute, so that may go away next year. I feel terrible for the kids who are going to miss out on those opportunities,” Ms. Collins said. “How much can you really fund-raise out of one community?”

Ted Rausch, the band director at Portsmouth High School, is worried about how the new rule will impact future band trips.

Over the past few years, members have gone to Disney World, have taken a cruise and have played in an Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C. In September, the band will return to the “Big E” (Eastern States Exposition) in West Springfield, Mass. — a trip it’s made for the past 25 years. 

While the PHS Music Boosters organization raises funds for the trips — especially for those families that need financial assistance — it can’t be asked to finance all of them, he said.

Other groups don’t even have the luxury of a boosters club working on their behalf, Mr. Rausch pointed out. “I know the social studies department is worried about a trip, and so is the ski club,” he said.

What else?

The broad wording of Mr. Wagner’s opinion also leads to questions over whether it will impact the funding of other school-related activities. Could it apply, for example, to a school prom? 

“The prom’s not a field trip, but the kids are still asked to buy tickets,” said Ms. Collins. 

Or how about instruments that families purchase or rent for students who are enrolled in school band programs? Ms. Collins wondered. 

“It could encompass anything that’s offered in the school,” she said. “They’re using the general term ‘field trips,’ but it could apply to other things. There’s still some confusion about all this. We’re trying to find where that line is, or is it constantly moving depending on the activity?”

Mr. Rausch, referring to band instruments, agreed it could be an issue. 

“These are rental instruments; they cost $25 to $30 a month,” he said. “It’s an absolute nightmare. You have to shake your head about how much this ruling will impact everyone. This is absolutely a burden on our school system.”

Legislation needed

Although it’s too late to get something in place in time for the next school year, the need for legislation to address the problem is critical, some argued.

Frederick Faerber III, vice chairman of the School Committee, said the district should look at the policy for Massachusetts public schools, which seems to afford some flexibility on field trips and other out-of-classroom activities. “We definitely need to see some legislation going forward,” he said.

Mr. Rausch agreed. “I’m just hoping there’s a fair resolution to this when you look at Massachusetts and Connecticut and surrounding states that are able to continue with their field trips. If this goes through, this will be absolutely devastating to any of our programs, including our band programs here,” he said.

“It’s so problematic,” said Ms. Copeland. “We’re asking parents and teachers and kids to get so involved … and now we’re basically being prohibited from that.”

A message left with RIDE for comment was not returned before deadline.

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